[Ding.]
[You have successfully slain a Corrupted Entity.]
[Calculating Reward.]
[Reward Calculated.]
[Reward: 2x Cultivation Speed.]
[Bonus Reward Obtained.]
[Corruption Resistance Lv.1 Acquired.]
[Corruption Resistance Lv.1 — Reduces the ntal influence and corruption effects caused by corrupted entities. Slightly increases resistance against corruption-based energy.]
"...2x cultivation speed?" That’s a ridiculous reward to hand out. My cultivation speed was high but now it’s 2x tis higher. Cultivators would massacre entire sects for searching treasures capable of increasing cultivation speed. Yet the system handed sothing this absurd after killing just a single corrupted creature.
And the corruption resistance...this will increase my ntal defence. If stronger Fallen existed in the future, then this reward could beco the difference.
But right now, none of those rewards felt important. Not while countless corpses surrounded . The Fallen’s massive body slowly started crumbling apart afterward. Its flesh turned into black ash before scattering into the cold wind.
Several nearby demons imdiately stepped backward nervously.
"...It’s disappearing."
"I’ve never seen a Fallen vanish like that before."
"Was it because of that human?" The demons were staring at with shock.
"...Ghk...". My legs nearly collapsed beneath before I stabbed Eclipse into the snow to keep myself standing.
"REN!" Mira imdiately rushed toward while Lyra followed closely behind her. The little demon girl crashed right into .
"Ughh... I think you would be the reason for my death." I muttered slowly.
"You’re bleeding Ren!" Mira shouted. Tears filled her eyes while her voice shook badly. "You idiot...you almost died!"
"...But I’m alive aren’t I?." I smiled.
"That’s not the point! You...do you know how worried I was?" Her voice cracked near the end. Only then did I realize she was genuinely worried about .
Lyra slowly stopped beside . Her eyes imdiately focused on the wound in my shoulder. Blood soaked through my clothes while my breathing beca increasingly unstable.
"...Sit down, I will treat that." she said quietly.
"I’m fine."
"No, you are not." She shook her head. Her voice sounded calr than Mira’s, but I could still hear the faint trembling hidden beneath it. This woman who stayed fearless during an attack from an A-rank Fallen... was struggling to stay composed now. The image of Mira nearly dying earlier probably still lingered inside her mind.
It lingered in mine too. If I had been slower by even a second... Mira would have died in front of us. The thought left a heaviness inside my chest.
Snow continued falling from the sky while surviving villagers slowly walked through the ruins of their destroyed ho. So searched for survivors beneath collapsed cabins. So carried the injured toward safer areas. Others simply sat motionless beside bodies covered in cloth.
The earlier chaos was gone now, only grief remained. A child suddenly cried sowhere nearby. "...Mom...where’s dad?" Nobody answered him. A woman imdiately hugged the child tightly while crying herself. I quietly looked away. This world really didn’t care about anyone. Death swallowed everyone equally.
Korin eventually forced himself back onto his feet despite the massive hole through his stomach. One of the hunters desperately tried supporting him, but Korin shoved the hand away roughly. "I can walk, this kind of wound is nothing to ."
"Village chief, you need treatnt! Stop being so stubborn."
"I said I can walk." Blood continuously dripped from his wound onto the snow while he slowly looked around the destroyed village. Then his eyes stopped near the ruined cabin from earlier. The cabin where Korin’s son died.
Korin froze completely. An older demon woman slowly approached him while clutching a small bloodstained cloth tightly against her chest. Her eyes were swollen red from crying. "...We found this near him," she whispered.
Korin slowly took the cloth from her hands. Inside it was a small wooden carving of a spear. The old woman’s lips trembled a bit. "...He always carried it around because he wanted to beco a great hunter like you."
Korin stared at the carving without moving. The hunter who fearlessly fought against the powerful fallen was barely keeping his emotions in control. "...I promised him," Korin muttered. "...I told him once winter ended...I would personally train him and make him a strong hunter. But now it’s all over." His fingers tightened around the wooden spear craving slightly. "...I couldn’t keep my promise to him."
One of the hunters nearby suddenly punched a broken wall in frustration before lowering his head helplessly. Another demon wiped the tears from his face. Nobody knew what to say to ease the pain in Korin’s heart.
Several villagers began gathering wood for funeral fires while others carried away the dead or what remained of them. They won the fight against the fallen, but no one was in the mood of celebrating.
Mira slowly lowered her head while staring at the bodies covered with cloth. "...They were smiling this morning ."
Lyra pulled Mira closer protectively. "...Don’t look Mira." The little demon girl bit her lips hard before lowering her head silently. Tears slowly rolled down her face despite her trying desperately not to cry. This was probably the first ti she truly saw death this closely.
Korin looked toward again after a long silence. "...Human."
"You really refuse to use my na huh." I said. Normally he would’ve argued back with but this ti he didn’t.
"...Ren," he corrected himself. His exhausted eyes stayed fixed on for several monts. "...You fought for this village even though we are demons. Even though we are enemies."
The surrounding hunters slowly looked toward . So looked ashad for doubting as an enemy. But most of them were grateful for saving them. One hunter suddenly bowed his head deeply and said. "...Thank you, Ren. We would never forget about what you did for us."
Soon several others followed his gesture. I didn’t know what to say to them. It feels awkward to , no one has ever thanked before.
Mira slowly stepped closer before she bowed her head. "...Thank you for saving and mom." Lyra blinked slightly after hearing those words before looking toward and giving a slight nod.
Before I could say sothing to Mira, the system chid again and the system notification appeared.
[Ding.]
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